get a grip on

Idioms

Also, have a grip on. Obtain mastery or control over something or someone. For example, Get a grip on yourself or the reporters will give you a hard time, or, as Arthur Conan Doyle put it in Sherlock Holmes (1894): “I have a grip on the essential facts of the case.” This expression transfers a firm physical hold to emotional or intellectual control. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In its 2024 election manifesto, Labour said its immediate priority on health will be to "get a grip on the record waiting lists" and "return to meeting NHS performance standards".

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026

There are broader geopolitical reasons for the U.S. to get a grip on Latin America.

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

Iran appointed a new central bank governor this week, Abdolnaser Hemmati, who promised to get a grip on inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

The government has been urged to get a grip on long A&E waits with campaigners saying it is the rot eating away at the heart of the NHS.

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

Lee kept away from him to let him get a grip on himself.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023